[Users] word wrapping

[wwp]

Hello Albert,


On Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:47:56 +0100 Albert ARIBAUD <albert.aribaud at free.fr> wrote:

> Bonjour wwp,
> 
> Le Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:01:25 +0100, wwp <subscript at free.fr> a écrit :
> 
> > Hello Eyolf,
> > 
> > 
> > On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 18:08:15 +0100 Eyolf Østrem <eyolf at oestrem.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Sun, 26 Oct 2014 17:27:36 +0100 wwp <subscript at free.fr> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > That sounds really subjective and not standard to me. Never seen this
> > > > in either French or English readings. Is there any norm, language rule
> > > > or standard behind this?
> > > 
> > > Long story short: early printing guides (17th to early 20th c.) prescribe a
> > > 1 em space between sentences and 1/3-1/2 em between words. (French printers
> > > have always used the same space in both cases, though, hence "French spacing").
> > > 
> > > With the advent of typewriters, double- or triple-space became a way to mimic
> > > printed text. Gradually during the 20th c., the practice was abandoned in
> > > printed text, but has remained in the type-writing traditions of some
> > > countries. 
> > > 
> > > Virtually none of the leading style-guides today use double-spacing, though,
> > > and as was mentioned, it is highly country-specific. I have an inkling that
> > > it's partly a US/Europe divide, but I'm not sure.
> > 
> > Thanks a lot for this enlightenment. I'm glad that in French such
> > spacing difference didn't+doesn't exist ;-).
> 
> This is somewhat true, and then somewhat not: while we French indeed
> never use double spaces (that I know of, anyway), we do have rules about
> putting a space before "double" (two-stroke) punctuation and no space
> before "simple" (one-stroke) other. And that's for typed text, of
> course; for true typography, we do have complex spacing rules with
> different widths and sorts of spaces.

Yeah, and I'm glad that since electronic text communication exist, we
are somehow "free" to simplify writing rules (it was less data to carry
but nowadays it servers other simplification/speed purposes I guess).

The space-before-double-punctuation rule has changed or been introduced
one day - since I never remember when or how (was NOT present before?
before what?) I always skip such space before ;: , and write in a more
"generic" way.

Interesting topic here, I'm not sure we're helping the OT, but at least
I'm glad to see there are email writers here who still care about
language.


Regards,

-- 
wwp
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